


a winter romance.

by pyroallerdyce



Series: i refuse to admit there was a beach divorce (aka all my charles/erik fics) [72]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe – Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe – Modern Setting, Alternate Universe – Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe – No Powers, Christmas Eve, December writing challenge, Doctors & Physicians, First Meetings, Friendship, Getting to Know Each Other, Hanukkah, Inspired by Music, Lunch, M/M, Male Friendship, Pre-Relationship, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Restaurants, Short One Shot, Soup, Tumblr Prompt, Wordcount: 5.000-10.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-07
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21702700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce
Summary: We danced that night by candlelightThe world was white with snowThe way we felt we never feltThe snow could melt and goBut though the snow is gone the romance lingers onAnd those that said it didn't stand a chanceWill know when they see us togetherThat love's not been controlled by the weatherAnd all of our summers we'll have our winter romanceor:  Charles falls in love with the soup at Erik's café and when Erik starts a soup of the day promotion for the holidays, Charles decides to come every day.  As he tries the soup, he learns more and more about Erik, and he falls harder and harder until he realizes that he just has to do something about it.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr & Charles Xavier, Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Series: i refuse to admit there was a beach divorce (aka all my charles/erik fics) [72]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1202509
Kudos: 28
Collections: December Writing Challenge - 2019





	a winter romance.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Grey_Summers](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Grey_Summers/gifts).



> happy December from the artist formerly known as porcelainsimplicity. 'tis still me, just a different username.
> 
> Day 7 of my December writing challenge. Prompt by veronicabunchwrites on Tumblr. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Day 7 prompt: You're obsessed with my homemade soup that I serve at my cafe and I'm too embarrassed to tell you that I've only been trying out new recipes to see you get excited for the soup of the day.  
> Day 7 title song: A Winter Romance by Dean Martin
> 
> none of this writing challenge would have happened without you, Scarlett. I hope you enjoy this entry in it.

**December 1st**

It was the beginning of December, which meant that it was winter, which meant that Charles was extremely busy. Colds, sinus infections, influenza, pneumonia. As a general physician, Charles saw it all and that meant his days were packed with patient after patient, with hardly a chance to breathe in between them. So when his lunch hour came around, it was a motherfucking godsend because he had a chance to think about something other than flu shots, blood work, and medications.

Charles had been frequenting a small café called Genosha of late, and as he walked towards it that day, he was walking in the middle of a really heavy snowstorm. He didn't care though because he needed the walk and the café was only two blocks down the street. He welcomed the warmth when he walked into the café and shook the snow out of his hair, grabbing a menu from the stand and heading to a table in the back so he wasn't sitting near the door. He perused it for a moment before the soup section caught his eye. He'd never tried the soup there before, but the chicken noodle sounded really good on a day like this, so when the waiter came over to take his order, that's what he told him he wanted. The waiter said it would be right out, and Charles looked through his phone for a few moments before the waiter came back with his soup. 

Charles was immediately intrigued by how creamy it looked, and when he picked up his spoon and took a bite, the flavors hit his tongue and Charles smiled. It was utterly amazing, perhaps the best chicken noodle soup he'd ever had. He quickly ate it all and smiled at the waiter when he came to take the empty bowl, asking him how they made the soup. The waiter pointed out the man behind the register, said he was the owner, and that it was a recipe of his. Charles thanked him and stood up, heading to the register to pay for his meal.

When he got to the register, the first thing he noticed was the man was absolutely gorgeous, but he quickly shook his head of that thought and smiled at him, handing over the ticket and fishing a credit card from his wallet. The man smiled at him as he rang up the order, and Charles took the opportunity to speak. “That was absolutely wonderful soup. I don't think that I've ever had a chicken noodle soup that was better than that.”

The man smiled and glanced down at the credit card, looking at the name written on it. “Well, thank you, Charles. It's an old family recipe, so I always love getting compliments on it.”

“It really is spectacular,” Charles said. “I'll be having it again.”

The man smiled and handed his credit card back to him, and Charles put it back in his wallet as the man put the receipt that he needed to sign on the counter in front of him. Charles picked up the pen and quickly signed it, smiling at the man again. “I look forward to coming back.”

“Well, we look forward to seeing you again,” the man said, and Charles headed towards the door.

As he headed back to his office, he decided that he'd be going back to the café soon.

**December 10th**

Charles was completely and totally overworked, and he really needed to pursue that idea of having another doctor working at the office so they could take half the load. He was so done with dealing with coughing children and whining adults, arguing with insurance companies over paying for basic care, and if he had one more elderly person try to tell him that they really didn't need to be hospitalized for their advanced pneumonia that Charles was telling them could possibly kill them, he was probably going to bang his head so hard against his desk that he'd give himself a concussion.

So, when his lunch hour came, he decided that he really needed some of that wonderful soup that Genosha had. He walked down the street to the small café, grabbed a menu off the stand, and headed for a table in the back. He looked at the soup section again and decided that he'd mix it up that day and try the vegetable beef, and when the waiter that approached the table was the gorgeous man that had ended up behind the register, Charles smiled and decided it was finally time to learn the man's name. 

“Good afternoon, Charles,” the man said, and Charles smiled. 

“Good afternoon,” he said. “I'm afraid that I've never learned your name.”

The man smiled at him. “My name is Erik Lehnsherr. I'm the owner of this place.”

“Well, it is very nice to finally know your name, Erik,” Charles said. “Are you being a waiter today?”

Erik nodded. “Two of my waiters called in sick so I am left with little choice. Do you know what you want to order?”

“I'll try the vegetable beef soup today,” Charles said, and Erik took the menu from him with a smile. 

“You'll have to tell me how you like it. It's my grandmother's recipe.”

“I will be sure to stop and tell you before I leave.”

“It will be out shortly,” Erik said, smiling at him one last time before turning and walking away.

Charles pulled out his phone and scrolled through his emails, sighing at every one related to work. He immediately deleted the ones from places he'd done some online shopping, decided he'd read the ones from Raven later, and just stared at the one from his mother. He really didn't want to read that one. It would just ruin his day. 

Erik brought the soup out and set it on the table, telling Charles to enjoy before walking away. Charles picked up his spoon and took his first bite. He closed his eyes and savored the flavors, and he decided that he'd never had soup that good in his life. He ate the soup rather quickly, unable to stop himself from enjoying every bite, and he was sad when the bowl was empty. A glance at his watch told him that it was time to head back to the office, so he stood up and headed to the register, not even waiting for someone to bring him his ticket. He just didn't have time for that.

Erik walked behind the register after a moment and smiled at him. “So, how was it?”

“I think I've never had better soup in my life,” Charles said, laughing when Erik shook his head. “What? I'm not lying to you.”

“Well, thank you very much,” Erik asked as he put the order into the register. “It is nice to know that my grandmother's recipes are appreciated.”

“Is she still around?” Charles asked carefully, hating himself the moment he said it. “I'm sorry, that's entirely too personal of a question for me to have asked.”

“It's fine, Charles,” Erik said, telling Charles the total. “She died several years ago. The recipes are ones that came with her with she immigrated from Germany.”

“Well, they are excellent,” Charles said, getting a credit card out and handing it over. “I'll have to try a different one next time I come in.”

“We're going to do a special soup of the day promotion for the holidays,” Erik said, processing the order. “A soup that is not on the menu every day from the seventeenth until Christmas Eve.”

Charles broke out into a grin. “Well, I know where I'm spending my lunch breaks then.”

Erik gave him a big smile. “It would be great to have some feedback on my grandmother's recipes.”

“I will be sure to stop and tell you what I think about each one of them then,” Charles said, taking his credit card back and glancing at his watch. “Fuck, I really do need to get back. I will see you later, Erik.”

“Goodbye, Charles,” Erik said as Charles headed towards the door.

As he walked back to the office, Charles made a mental note of the days that the soup promotion was going to go on. He was definitely going to be going back every day of that.

**December 17th**

Charles settled into his seat at a table in the back, ordering the soup of the day from the waiter without even looking at the menu. The waiter took the menu and walked away, and just as he brought the soup out, Erik came up to his table. “Good afternoon, Charles.”

“Good afternoon, Erik,” Charles said, picking up his spoon. “What kind of soup is this? I didn't look and see.”

“And you ordered it anyway?” Erik asked, chuckling. “This is bread soup.”

“I've never heard of bread soup before,” Charles said, taking a bite of it and taking it he flavors. “It's delightful.”

Erik smiled. “My mother absolutely loves it. It's her favorite.”

“Is she going to come in and have some then?” Charles asked before taking another bite.

“No,” Erik said, shaking his head. “My mother and I have a very difficult relationship. She thinks this place is not what I should be doing.”

“She sounds like my mother,” Charles said in between bites. “She has never cared about much besides the drink in her hand but she sure does love to tell me that everything I'm doing with my life is wrong.”

“Something tells me that our mothers would get along brilliantly,” Erik said, looking behind him when he heard his name. “I'm really glad that you like the soup, Charles. Excuse me.”

Erik walked away then, and Charles finished the soup. When he went to pay, it was someone else behind the register, and Charles smiled at them but didn't make small talk. As he headed back to the office, he thought about what Erik had said and determined that he was right, their mothers would probably get along great. They should never meet. Charles then took a moment to wonder why he thought they'd ever get a chance to meet, and he sighed as he approached his office.

He was attracted to Erik. That wasn't good.

**December 18th**

Charles checked the sign as he walked back to a table, noting that the day's soup was Rumford's soup. He'd never heard of it before but ordered it anyway. When the waiter brought it out, Charles wasn't sure about it at first, but after the tenth bite, he decided that it was actually rather good. By the time that he had finished the bowl, he'd really enjoyed it. 

He took the ticket to the register, smiling when Erik walked behind it. “I wasn't sure about the soup at first, but I grew to really enjoy it by the end,” Charles said.

Erik smiled at him and took the ticket and credit card from him. “I'm glad that you grew to enjoy it. It is one of my favorites.”

Charles noticed that Erik had dog tags hanging around his neck and was intrigued. “Dog tags?”

Erik looked down and saw that they weren't underneath his shirt like they should have been. “I was in the Marines for eight years.”

Charles nodded. “I never could have done something like that. I'm the least violent person imaginable.”

“I wouldn't say that I am particularly violent,” Erik said, handing Charles the receipt to sign. “But I felt that I needed to serve my country.”

“I really admire those that make that commitment,” Charles said. “I chose to be one that heals people instead.”

“Meaning?”

“The doctor's office two blocks from here,” Charles said. “That's mine.”

Erik smiled as Charles handed the slip back to him, giving his credit card and another receipt to him. “So, you're a doctor.”

“Yes,” Charles said, glancing at his watch. “And I'm late. I'll talk to you later, Erik.”

Charles was out the door before Erik could say another word. He really should be worried about how long he was taking on his lunch breaks, but he needed a fucking break and his patients could wait for a few minutes. It's not like he was going to make them wait for an hour. Still, he picked up his pace as he walked. He really did need to get back, but he knew he'd be going back to the café the next day.

**December 19th**

Matzah ball soup was the offering, and Charles was very intrigued because he'd never had any food that was so closely associated with the Jewish before. He ordered it as soon as the waiter came over, and then the soup was out to him quickly. Charles tasted it and thought it was very good.

He was halfway through the bowl when Erik approached the table, and Charles smiled up at him. “I have never had this type of soup before, but it is very good.”

Erik smiled widely. “My grandmother would have been really happy to hear that. She tried a bunch of different variations before she finally got this one. My grandfather really loved it. That was always her barometer. If my grandfather loved it, then she knew she got it right. If he didn't, then it was back to adjusting things.”

“Well, it is very good,” Charles said. “Why did you pick this soup for today? I'm curious.”

“Today is the first day of Hanukkah,” Erik said. “I thought I would offer it up as part of my celebrations.”

“So, you are Jewish then?”

“Yes, I am,” Erik said. “You are not if you've never had matzah ball soup before.”

“No, I'm not,” Charles confirmed. “I'm not really all that religious, to be perfectly honest. Going to church wasn't exactly a priority after my father died. He was the one who always wanted us to go.”

“I'm terribly sorry that he's no longer with us. I understand what that pain is like.”

Charles looked up at him. “You've lost your father?”

Erik nodded. “To cancer. I was in Afghanistan when it happened, so I didn't get the chance to say goodbye.”

“I'm terribly sorry to hear that,” Charles said sincerely. “I lost mine in a car accident when I was nine. Killed instantly, so I didn't get to say goodbye either.”

“You don't often meet someone that can share that kind of pain with you,” Erik said softly. “I'm sorry that you do.”

“I have been living with it for far longer than you have but that doesn't dull it any, especially around the holidays. My father always made a big deal out of Christmas.”

“Mine taught me the joy and meaning of Hanukkah,” Erik said. “It's hard to go through the traditions now, knowing that he will never be part of it again.”

Charles nodded and finished his soup, glancing at his watch. “Fuck, I'm going to be late again.”

“Come on, I'll ring you up,” Erik said, heading towards the register.

Charles followed him and handed over a credit card. “I really enjoyed the soup, Erik. And I hope that you do find some joy in your celebrations tonight.”

Erik processed the transaction and then put the receipt for Charles to sign on the counter. “You know what, Charles? I think it might go better tonight because of our conversation.”

Charles signed the receipt and smiled at him. “Well, any time you want to talk about this, I'll be glad to listen.”

“I'll keep that in mind,” Erik said. “Now go, you're going to be late.”

Charles nodded and walked out the door, quickly walking towards his office. He felt like he'd gotten to know a very special part of Erik, and that made him all warm inside.

He was really going to have to stop crushing on him so hard. It wasn't going to lead to anything and Charles knew it. 

**December 20th**

The moment Charles saw the soup of the day, he sighed heavily. The last thing he wanted to do was have cabbage soup. But he sat down at the table, told the waiter he'd like the soup of the day, and sighed. He honestly didn't want to think about cabbage at all.

Cabbage just made Charles think about him. The motherfucker had loved cabbage so much. It was his favorite vegetable, so he cooked all kinds of things that had cabbage in them. By the time that their relationship ended, Charles swore that he'd never eat cabbage again.

The waiter set the bowl of soup in front of him and Charles picked up his spoon with some reluctance. He sat there with the spoon in his hand for a while, and Erik walked up to the table, a frown on his face. “You don't like it?”

“I don't know,” Charles said, looking up at him. “I haven't tried it yet.”

“Why not?” 

Charles took a deep breath. “My motherfucker of an ex loved cabbage. He cooked it in practically everything he made for dinner. I kind of associate cabbage with him now and I hate eating it.”

Erik nodded. “I see. Can I say something about that? I don't want to overstep my boundaries.”

“You can say whatever you want, Erik. It's fine.”

“I think you should try it anyway,” Erik said. “You shouldn't let memories of an ex-boyfriend ruin things that you might really enjoy. I think you might really like this. So, give it a try.”

Charles stared down at the soup for a moment before sticking his spoon into it and taking a bite. “I can tell that it's a very well made soup,” he said. “And maybe someday I will be able to eat it and not think of him, but I don't think that's going to happen today.”

“I understand,” Erik said, picking up the bowl of soup. “What do you want then?”

“Chicken noodle, if you don't mind.”

“I'll be right back with it.”

Erik brought him chicken noodle and walked away, and Charles ate it quickly. He didn't have time to wait for the ticket again, and when he stepped up to the register, Erik waved him away. “No charge today, Charles.”

“Erik, I can pay for the two bowls of soup. It's fine.”

“Charles,” Erik said firmly. “There's no charge today. I know that you can pay for it, but you gave me such a precious piece of your soul today. That's all the payment I need for a couple of bowls of soup.”

Charles studied him for a moment before realizing he wasn't going to win that argument. “Thank you, Erik,” he eventually said.

Erik just smiled at him. “Go before you're late getting back again.”

Charles nodded and walked out the door. He thought about what Erik had said all the way back to the office, and he thought about it during all the short breaks between patients that he had, and he thought about it all the way home that night.

He had no idea why he'd told Erik about the motherfucker, but Erik's words had soothed a part of his heart that Charles hadn't even realized was still broken.

He really had to do something about the fact that he really wanted Erik to fuck him through the mattress. He really did.

**December 21st**

Charles stared at the board when he walked into the café and blinked. He didn't have any idea how he was even supposed to say panadelsuppe, let alone what it might be. Still, he walked to what was becoming his table in the back, sat down, and ordered the soup of the day when the waiter came. The bowl was placed in front of him a few minutes later, and Charles took a tentative bite before deciding it was delicious and digging in.

He had just finished eating when Erik approached the table, and he smiled up at him. “I don't know how to pronounce the name of this soup, but it was quite delicious.”

Erik smiled. “Panadelsuppe,” he said, and Charles still didn't know how to pronounce it. “It's actually an Austrian soup, but my grandparents took a trip there not long after they got married and they both really liked it, so my grandmother got to work on perfecting a recipe.”

“She was very good at that then,” Charles said. “I know I didn't eat much of the cabbage soup but all of the others have been great.”

Erik grinned at him. “She would have loved to hear that. So would my father. This was his favorite.”

“I can understand why,” Charles said. “Chicken noodle was my father's favorite. That's generally why I always try the chicken noodle first when I try the soup somewhere.”

“Well, I'll just have to make sure we have plenty of chicken noodle soup ready for when you come in,” Erik said, smiling at him. “Are you going to be late again?”

Charles glanced at his watch. “Fuck. Yes, I am. And worse than usual too.”

“Come on,” Erik said, and Charles followed him to the register. “Are you the boss over there or do you work for someone else?”

“No, it's my practice. I really need to look into getting another doctor or maybe a nurse practitioner to come in and take some of the workload off of me. I am there from six a.m. to around nine every night. It's entirely too much work.”

“Then you should really do that then,” Erik said. “It's never good to overwork yourself.”

“I think you are right about that,” Charles said, signing the receipt when Erik put it in front of him. “I will see you tomorrow, Erik.”

It wasn't until he was halfway back to the office that he realized he'd never gotten his credit card back from Erik. He thought about turning around and going to get it, but then he realized that he really didn't have time. He trusted that Erik would keep it there until the next day. He wasn't concerned that Erik was going to rack up thousands of dollars of charges on it in the meantime.

He was getting ready to see his first patient of the afternoon when he wondered why it was he trusted Erik so much. Then it hit him that it was because of his growing attraction to him.

He really had to get over this. He really, really did.

**December 22nd**

Charles didn't even have to order today. The waiter just said that he'll get him a bowl of the soup of the day and it made Charles laugh. He did suppose that sort of thing was what happened when one became a regular of a place. The soup of the day that day was cheese soup and Charles could tell just from the name that he was going to love it. He did love a good piece of cheese.

The waiter set the bowl in front of him and Charles took a bite, grinning as the flavors hit his tongue. It was even better than he had expected. 

Charles was at the register ready to leave before he got a chance to talk to Erik, and he grinned at him when Erik walked up behind it. “That was absolutely fantastic. The best one yet, I think.”

“It's my favorite, so I'm very glad that you liked it,” Erik said, picking up Charles's credit card from behind the counter. “You left this here yesterday, you know.”

“Yes, I figured that out halfway to the office but I just had absolutely no time to come and get it. I knew it was in safe hands though, so I didn't worry about it too much.”

“You want this charged to it today?” Erik continued when Charles nodded. “How did you know that it would be in safe hands?”

“I trusted that you wouldn't rack up thousands of dollars of charges on it,” Charles said, smiling. “After all, I'd know exactly where to find you if you did.”

Erik laughed. “Yes, I suppose you would.”

He set the receipt to sign down on the counter and then made sure to hand the credit card back to Charles. “I really am glad that you're enjoying this promotion so much, Charles.”

“Well, it's been great to try these soups that I never would have tried before. You should put some of the popular ones on the menu.”

“I'll think about that,” Erik said, nodding towards the door. “I don't want you to be late today.”

Charles laughed. “I'm always late. Probably really shouldn't be, but I enjoy our little chats too much to really worry about it.”

“I really enjoy them too, Charles.”

Erik smiled at him and Charles thought he could live for that smile. Another customer got in line behind him so Charles murmured a goodbye and then walked out of the restaurant, still thinking about Erik's smile.

This was becoming a big problem, and Charles absolutely had to get over this and soon.

**December 23rd**

It was on this day that Charles had a real breakthrough on his growing need for Erik.

He was enjoying the lentil soup that was that day's choice when Erik came over to talk, and Charles looked up at him and said something that at first was incredibly stupid.

“You're always here, Erik. Don't you have someone to go home to?”

And as he was mentally kicking himself for saying something so incredibly, unbelievably stupid, Erik had just shaken his head and said a few sentences that kicked Charles's heart into overdrive.

“No. I kicked my ex-boyfriend out about six months ago because he was a cheating asshole, and I haven't really been interested in anything since. So, I have sort of buried myself in work instead. At least while I'm here, I don't have to still think about him.”

Ex-boyfriend.

Ex-boyfriend.

EX-BOYFRIEND.

Charles collected himself and nodded. “I know exactly how that feels. I'm still doing that and we broke up almost a year and a half ago.”

“I'm hoping it won't be that long for me before I decide to get back out there, but you never know. I could meet the right guy tomorrow.”

Charles had almost spoken up and said he could be the right one, but someone called out Erik's name, so Erik had walked away, and Charles sat there as that word kept racing around his mind.

Ex-boyfriend.

Erik was gay.

Gay.

So, Charles could ask him out and it wouldn't be entirely unwarranted.

He stood up when he noticed the time, cashed out with one of the waitresses, and walked back to his office as thoughts ran through his mind at breakneck speed.

He needed a plan now. 

He could do that.

**December 24th**

When Charles walked in and saw the soup of the day was potato soup, he grinned. Walking to his table in the back, he sat down and the waiter didn't even come to ask, just set a bowl of potato soup in front of him. Charles picked up his spoon and he was about to dig in when he heard his name. “Erik.”

Erik smiled at him. “I am very curious as to how you're going to find this one. This was my grandmother's favorite. She spent decades perfecting it.”

“Well, potato soup happens to be my absolute favorite.”

“I thought that was chicken noodle.”

“No, that's the one I get first anywhere because it was my father's favorite. After that, if potato soup is an option, then I get the potato soup. My grandmother made an excellent potato soup that I wish I could have again but she seems to have never written the recipe down. My sister and I have been searching through her papers for years trying to find it but we've come up empty-handed.”

“I'm even more curious how you like it now,” Erik said, sighing when someone called out his name. “I'll talk to you later, Charles.”

Erik walked away and Charles turned his attention back to the soup. He stuck the spoon into it and had his first bite, and he felt like he wanted to melt to the floor. It tasted so much like his grandmother's soup. So, so much. Closer to it than anything he'd ever tried before. It almost made Charles want to cry.

He took his time eating the bowl, savoring every bite as though he'd never get it again. He'd have to suggest to Erik that he keep up this soup of the day promotion so that one day he could walk in here and get more of this glorious, glorious soup. 

He was sad when he finished, got the ticket from the water, and headed up to the register. There were two customers in front of him so Charles had to wait, but the moment that they were done and it was his turn, he just grinned at Erik. “It almost tastes like my grandmother's,” he said quickly. “I cannot even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed that.”

Erik smiled at him. “That's good because that's going on the menu permanently.”

“Oh, that's wonderful. I'll have to bring my sister in to have it,” Charles said, handing over the ticket and his credit card. “Are you going to keep up the soup of the day after the holiday?”

“No,” Erik said, shaking his head as he processed the transaction. “It wasn't very successful. It was a really stupid idea to try, actually. People around here aren't that interested in German soups.”

“Then why did you keep the promotion going?” Charles asked. “If it wasn't successful, I'd think you would have stopped.”

Erik took a deep breath as he put the receipt for Charles to sign on the counter. “Because I really liked watching you enjoy my grandmother's recipes so much, even if the cabbage soup was a little too much for you.”

Charles took that in as he signed the receipt, taking a deep breath when he looked back up. “What are the hours on New Year's Eve?”

“Normal opening but we'll only be open till five,” Erik said, handing Charles back his receipt and credit card.

“Do you have plans for the night?” Charles asked, trying to remind himself that this might not be unwarranted. 

“No,” Erik said, shaking his head. “I don't feel like going to any of my friends' parties and watch them all kiss each other at midnight when I'm the guy there with no date.”

Charles took another deep breath. “Would you be interested in coming over to my place and spending the evening with me?”

As soon as he asked it, he groaned and covered his face with his hands. “Fuck, now I'm going to have to find another place to eat because I just made this so fucking awkward. I'll be entirely too embarrassed to come back.”

“Charles,” Erik said, bemused. “You haven't even heard my answer yet.”

Charles stood there with his hands over his face, and Erik laughed. “I would love to spend New Year's Eve with you, Charles.”

Charles slowly lowered his hands and looked over at Erik. “Really?”

Erik smiled and nodded. “I told you I needed to meet the right guy. I think I have.”

Charles grinned and Erik set a notepad on the counter. “Write down your number so I can call you tonight. I promise I'll wait until you get home.”

“I'll be home all evening,” Charles said, reaching for a pen. “The office closed at noon today since it's Christmas Eve.”

“Do you have plans for Christmas?”

“I'm spending it with my sister and her boyfriend,” Charles said, writing out all of his numbers. “Are you just going to enjoy the day off?”

“Yes,” Erik said, smiling when Charles pushed the notepad back to him. “It's like the one guaranteed day off I get all year.”

“I know that feeling very, very well,” Charles said, laughing. “I shall await your call tonight then.”

“I'm looking forward to it.” Erik sighed when he heard his name called out. “Merry Christmas, Charles. I'll talk to you later.”

Charles nodded as Erik walked away, heading back out into the snow and towards his office. 

He'd done it. 

He'd actually done it.

He'd asked out Erik.

And Erik had said yes.

Now he could tell Raven that he had a date for New Year's Eve so she could stop pestering him about always being alone. 

She probably wouldn't believe him, but it was the truth.

He had a date with Erik to look forward to.

Maybe this would be the start of something really special. It certainly felt special already.

By the time that Charles was letting himself back into the office to get the rest of his stuff so he could head home, he had a grin on his face that he thought would take some time to go away.

Merry Christmas indeed.


End file.
